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» U 0 4 U 







THE CONSCRIPT 



W. L. MITCHELL, 



CHICAGO. 





















V 


PROLOGUE. 


It is expected the critics will write down this play as they 
never wrote up one. It is with them a question of bread and 
it is easier to tear down than to build up—to say bad things 
than good ones of a man and his works. It is expected it 
will bring fame and wealth to its author, for fame without 
wealth is like a large house with nothing in it. It is expected 
it will bring happiness, for fame and wealth without happiness 
is as “sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal.'’ It is good for 
the young and the old, and it has cured some who have failed 
to find a remedy for their ills in sweet medicines. It has phi¬ 
losophy, love, and religion enough for this world and the next. 
It is the best play ever written, and it is expected to outlast 
every thing written and be lost only in the grave of civiliza¬ 
tion. This play is founded on Dumas’ “Conscript.” The 
author has used his characters, nothing else. The language 
and ideas are his own, he has made the characters to suit his 
fancy. In a word whatever is good in it is his own, whatever 
is bad is somebody else’s. It is launched on the sea of a 
world of trash with the highest of hope and greatest of cour¬ 
age as to its success. No man’s opinion that is worth anything 
will be against it ; therefore those whose opinions are against 
it no one will care anything about. Having the fullest faith 
in the taste and wisdom of the public, (which the author may 
be mistaken in) he submits his play to its tender mercy and 
fostering care. 


* 




THE CONSCRIPT. 

% fiat/ in jltts. 

HY WM. L. MITCHELL. 


PERSONS REPRESENTED. 


Conscience . The Conscript 

Bastien .An Hussar 

Father CadeLGrandfather of Conscience 

Niguet .Money Loaner 

Dr, Bernardo . .. 

Lawyeri . 


Madelaine .Conscience’s Mother 

Marietta .Conscience's Playmate 

Dame Marie .Marietta’s Mother 

Catherine .Loved by Bastien 


Soldiers, Nurses , Etc . 

Napoleon'i Officers . Etc . 


A 0 T I. 

Scene 1 . — In Idarmont France—Two Cottages opposite 
each other. 


Conscience, Marietta and Barnard, the dog. 

Marietta. Conscience, I have been thinking of the years 
which have come and gone with the snows of winter and the 
flowers of summer. 

The stream by whose border we wandered, 

In life’s early morn so bright andgjay, 

Has sped with the hours that we squandered, 

And passed like the golden sunsets away. 

Here we were born and here we have lived until you 
are almost a man and I almost a woman. Here in this little 
cottage my mother nursed us both. When your poor mother 
heard of the death of your brother William killed in battle, 















2 


THE CONSCRIPT. 


her milk dried up with her grief and so we drank life from 
one breast. We have lived here so far in life as brother and 
sister—but we cannot always live so, and I have a presentiment 
that we are soon to part. And now as we sit here and the 
evening Te Deum of the birds floats up to heaven and dies 
away upon the air, and the evening bells are tolling for vespers 
I am thinking that our past sweet dream life is to fade away 
like this poor flower which I drop into the stream—see how it 
looks back and yet glides away, glides away and forever. Do 
you remember how the old dog used to draw me and how we 
gathered the wild flowers by the way, and when tired from 
play we slept under the old tree and our lullaby was the song 
of birds and the murmur of the stream. In after years how 
we will look back to this dear old scene and say : 

The flowers we then so carelessly picked, 

So bright and so sweet and so fair, 

Have gone with the home where the old clock ticked, 
Gone with the old folks who were there. 

Conscience. It is strange that you should have such a pre • 
sentiment. I too have had strange forebodings, I too have felt 
that in some way there was to be a change. That this dream 
life was to end and that I should go out into the world and 
leave you and these happy scenes behind me, upon which the 
curtain would drop to rise no more, and we the actors appear 
on this little stage for the last time. In the great theatres 
they have great cities and grand palaces, they are but as 
painted ships upon a painted ocean. The actors there present 
all phases of human life from the king to the peasant, the 
splendor of the rich and the rags of the poor often show that 
vice is in the splendor and virtue in the rags. They there 
show how“ambition oerleaps itself”—losing heaven finding only 
a lonely grave—but it is all a mere play. Yet here our little 
plays have all been real. The earth was our stage, our little 
world here our theatre, the heaven with its stars and the old 
woods and the meadows and the streams were our scenes and 


THE CONSCRIPT. 


3 


canvass ; and here our little life’s plays, so often rounded with 
a sleep so real so earnest so true, are about to end and we the 
actors disappear; yet we shall often look back to this little the¬ 
atre of ours where we have played life’s early comedies. We 
are ever going forward in life and ever looking backward. 
The phantom of fortune and fame which we chase is like the 
mirage everchanging. Now we see the oasis like the traveler 
in the desert, and seem to approach it then it seems to be 
as far off as ever. Then we look back and it seems with 
its shady groves and running fountains to be on the very 
route we have just passed over. So we are ever going on 
“In early life full of hope, in later life full of recollection,” 
Marietta, I heard to day that there was to be a draft in our 
little village of one hundred men, all under sixty and over 
sixteen. It will taKe nearly every able bodied man. Napol¬ 
eon’s star is setting. He has come back from Moscow 
leaving 500,000 men with their martial cloaks wrapped round 
them but as shrouds. Marshal Ney passing over the Rhine 
was the last of the rear guard of the grand army of France, 
who with a few thousand had escaped the cold hug of the 
Russian bear. A million of the allied army is marching 
upon Paris, Napoleon has but a quarter of that amount of 
men to meet them. He must have more men though it 
takes the last son from a widowed mother. We are but 
bricks and stones upon which kings build their thrones—so 
Marietta I may be one of the conscripts. 

Marietta weeps. 

Marietta. Oh Conscience, Conscience, my presentiment 
and my dreams alas are about to be fulfilled. We shall 
part, all this our happy life is to end. I see it now fading, 
fading out like the landscape and the woods before us in the 
twilight. I hear it in the symphony of the winds in the 
rustle of the leaves telling mournfully that, 

Here on the bank of this heather, 

We shall part and part forever. 


4 


THE CONSCRIPT. 


Conscience. Say not so—There is hope while there is life. 
There is courage for the brave heart and there is God over 
all. 

Enter Officer with notice of drawing dec. Marietta 
shrieks. 

Marietta. Oh it’s already come, so soon, How little we 
know what is behind the curtain of the future. How many 
sorrows it discloses each day when it is raised. Oh heaven 
pity us ! Poor old father Cadet, so old he can’t work his 
little farm, and Conscience, if you were taken away, your 
poor old grandfather and mother would die of grief. You 
are tiie crutch upon which old age leans and if it is taken 
away they will drop into their graves. I have heard your 
grandfather say the mortgage upon the farm was about due 
and if not paid the tann would have to go. That there was 
no mercy to be expected from Niguet the money lender— 
all will be lost, you must not go. Oh war, war, thou demon 
that makes the world desolate, that takes our brothers and 
fathers to build up thrones for ambition to sit upon ! Thou 
art the serpent which enters into the Eden, and makes all 
desolation and misery where all was beauty and happiness; 
makes strife where all was peace, makes death where all 
was life. 

Conscience. Let us trust in God. Whatever is our fate 
let us meet it bravely, for we cannot by our c - wardice or 
tears evade it. I may not be drawn, it I am I must go— 
there is no help. If the bullet is cast that is to end my 
life, so be it. It is but fate cast in an iron mould and no 
person can stop the one or change the other. Our destiny 
is like our shadow, it follows us through life and only quits 
us at the grave. 

Scene II. The drawing — soldiers , people , boys , girls, 
flags , etc. Conscience. Marietta, Madelaine, Dame Marie 
Bastien , Father Cadet, Catherine, Barnard—front of 
station or barracks. Conscience goes in the barracks with 
Bastien, and as he comes out all are watching to see if 
he has drawn the lucky number , but they see by his sad 
looks and those of Bastien that he is drawn as a conscript. 


THE CONSCRIPT. 


5 

Conscience. I have drawn the unlucky number, I am a 
conscript. 

Women all cry saying , Oh Conscience , oh Bastien , 
we dof 

Bastien . {overcome with grief. ) It can’t be helped now. 
I offered to go in his place, but they wouldn’t take me because 
l had lost two fingers in the last battle 1 should think that 
ought to have recommended me—and then they said I might 
have to go on my own account. They’ll take us, old father 
Cadet and all if this war is not ended soon. Marietta I am 
an old soldier, have seen many sad scenes in truth and 1 don’t 
care anything for bullets but I do for tears. I can’t bear to 
see you all take take on so, ( all are crying .) it takes away all 
my courage. I had rather be shot. Let us trust in Providence 
and first let us go and bid adieu to Conscience who is to go 
away immediately, 

All kiss Conscience . He kisses old jather Cadet who 
blesses him. All go home , women crying , etc. Conscience 
is marched off with a squad of soldiers. 

ACT II. 

Scene I.— Battle , explosion of caisson , Conscience gust 

before rushes in between shell and Napoleon , —saves Na¬ 
poleon but is wounded and blinded—taken to a hospital 

at Laone . Tableau. 

Scene II .—Marietta receives a letter from Conscience . 

Scene at the cottages, all present but Bastien. 

Marietta . Here comes the post man, we shall hear shortly 
from poor Conscience and Bastien too. Oh it has been sj 
long, oh if we don’t hear soon I shall fear the worst. 

Carrier hands her a letter. 

Ah it’s not from Conscience,it’s a strange hand writing-dear 
dear who can it be from, is Conscience dead ? Oh God have 
mercy upon us ! 

[Reads the letter.\ 

Marietta opening letter and reading. 

Hospital at Laone. 

This is the first letter that I have been able to send you, 


6 


THE CONSCRIPT. 


Oh it’s from Conscience, [reads on\ and I do not write 
this. I may never sec you again, lam blind, [all cry etc.) 
I told you I had a presentiment that I should leave our liittle 
homes at Harmont and never see you or them again. I shall 
never see those dear old scenes, and your bright face so full of 
smiles and hope, so full of love and kindness, and the dear old 
woods where we wandered and played’ The flowers will bloom 
and the trees put forth their leaves, but I shall see them no 
more. I was wounded in the battle near this place—all were 
killed around me—a shell struck the caisson near my gun, I 
rushed between it and Napoleon who had just rode up. Napo¬ 
leon was saved, I was wounded and taken up for dead. I was 
not so badly wounded but the powder had put out my eyes. 
It would have been better if the shell had killed me. Oh 
Marietta it all seems so dark, if I could only hear your dear 
voice and that of mother it would not seem so terrible. I shall 
go to you as soon as I can but I can’t find my way alone and it 

may be weeks before we shall meet, but oh, how changed a 
meeting it will be from the old bye gone days. 

But we shall meet upon the heather 
To part no more, no more forever. 

Madelaine. Oh, William was killed, Conscience is blind 
and may die. Oh, have mercy Our Father who art in heaven, 
have mercy upon poor Conscience and save him. Have pity 
upon me a poor widow and mother of poor Conscience. 

Father Cadet. There is but little left for old age but 
sorrows. Conscience gone—the farm is going. The old Jew 
Niguet will not wait, he thinks and means to get the farm. 
The crop this year, if Conscience couid have been here and 
taken care of it, would have paid up the balance due. Year 
after year we have toiled to pay and now the hard earnings 
have gone and the farm will go at last. Oh. how happy we 
would have been but for this cruel war! We shall have to 
leave this old roof which has sheltered us so long, but “the 
Lord will temper the wind to the shorn lamb. 

Marietta. I am going to Conscience. 


TIIE CONSCRIPT. 


7 


All. Going to Conscience ? 

Father Cadet. How can you go poor girl ? The country 
is full of rough soldieis. You even don’t know the way and 
it’s far off, and alas we have no money. No, no, Marietta 
the soldiers would insult you and laugh at your tears. 

Marietta. Where there is a will there is a way. He that 
protects the fatherless will watch over me. Besides no true 
brave soldier would insult a poor defenceless girl, but would 
die to protect her. No the brave soldier wars upon the strong 
but shields the weak. 

Marietta puts on her hat and goes to the General's 
headquarters of the Russian army , which is encamped on 
Father Cadet's farm and have destroyed the crops. 

Scene III.— The General's Headquarters. 

Mar. Oh these soldiers, enemies of France, see how they 
have destroyed poor father Cadet’s crops and fences. It looks 
like a desert, hardly a poor spear of grass growing. 

[going up to a sentinel ] Is this the general’s headquarters ? 

Sen. It is my pretty lass, I wish I was the general. 

Mar. If you don’t mind your business I’ll set Barnard on 
you. 

Sen. I had a good deal rather be bitten by the mistress than 
by the dog. 

Marietta goes in. 

Mar. Is this the general ? 

Gen. It is my little beauty. What can I do for you ? 

[proposes to kiss her . 

Mar. But business before pleasure, General. If soldiers 
fought better and kissed less, it would be better for the country 
and the girls too. [Barnard growls. ] You see General I have 
a beau who is very j ealous. 

Gen. Yes he growls like any dog who sees his mistress 
about to be hugged by another dog. What is the matter my 
little maid? 

Mar. General pity the misfortunes of a poor family—a few 
weeks ago we were all so happy in our little homes. Made- 


8 


THE CONSCRIPT. 


laine, mother, Father Cadet, Barnard, Conscience and I. 

Gen . Who the deuce is Conscience ? 

Mar. Conscience he is—he is—Conscience. \])lushes.~\ 

Gen Oh, I see you have two consciences; I find one is bad 
enough, it gives one a great deal of trouble in this world. 
This Conscience is your lover, is that it. Well what is the 
matter ? 

Mar. General,I did love him and he loved me; and we were 
so young and so happy—please sir, we couldn’t help it— 
we drew our milk from the same breast; we played together 
as children, and when we grew older we hadn’t anything else 
to do, and we loved—and now—and now T —he is wounded arid 
blind, in the Hospital at Laone, 1 must go and take care of 
him. He is so lonely and so sad. 

Gen. Impossible ! the woods and roads are full of soldiers, 
and you could not get through them. 

Mar. Oh, do not say so General you will kill us all and 
poor Conscience too. I can go with Barnard. 

Gen. Who the d—1 is Barnard? 

Mar. Barnard ? Why Barnard is this dog. 

Gen. (lauglis ) Well, I am afraid the soldiers would 
make Bologna sausages of the dog, and sweet meats of you. 

Mar. General, give me a pass and your soldiers will re¬ 
spect it and God will protect me. 

Gen’s Wife. Oh, General it you can, give the poor girl 
what she so desires, a pass. Oh, war brings so many sor¬ 
row's and sufferings. Plow 7 many bright homes it breaks 
up—the circle is broken, the fire goes out upon the hearth, 
wild w 7 eeds gather upon the wall,and the places which w^ere 
once happy homes are deserted, and those that knew them 
know them no more forever. Oh, let us so far as we can 
relieve it from its horrors. 

Gen. (to his Secretary .) Give this girl a pass in Russian 
and French, and let it contain the strictest orders tor her 
protection. 


THE CONSCRIPT 


9 


Mar. [Getting the pass, dances, kisses the GeneraVs 
wife and the General , and retires crying for joy, 

O, I am—I am—so—so happy, (cries and then laughs) 
I shall see Conscience, and I’ll kiss him—ah, he wont see 
me though—Oh, I’ll lead him all the day long and draw 
him, that’s Barnard and me, won’t we Barnard ? (talks to 
the dog,) draw him as you and he used to draw me, and 
we’ll go down and have our old plays over again in the 
woods—but he will not see how pretty I am, (looks at her¬ 
self in a little pocket glass). How every fellow stares at a 
pretty girl. I wish poor Conscience could see me, I’d give 
more for the love in his eyes, than that of all the wondering 
eyes of the curious, staring crowd of men on the street. 
Dear, dear, I have not got him yet, (there is many a slip 
between the cup and lip). It’s a long road and full of dan¬ 
gers, and poor Conscience, he may be dying or dead. Oh, 
no, kind Providence, restore him again to his poor old 
mother and grandfather, and—and—to me. Old lather 
Cadet will read prayers every night, and oh, we will be so 
good and so happy. 

Going home through the woods is met by old Niguet, the 
money loaner. 

Niguet. Ah, my dear, pretty little miss, I have not seen 
you since Conscience left you, when he went as a conscript, 
and you were in tears. O, I do like to see a pretty girl cry 
—she seems to feel so bad and yet looks so good. Well, 
Conscience, I hear, has lost his eyes, and so can’t see you 
again, and of course you will not look at him now he is 
blind, and poorer than ever. Now, as I am rich and hold 
the mortgage on Father Cadet’s farm, suppose that I take 
the farm and you into the bargain, so you can live where 
you have always lived. 

Mar. 1 am going alter Conscience ; see, I have got a 
pass, (showing it). I love him more than ever because he 
is blind. We pity whom God afflicts. We help the unfor¬ 
tunate and God helps us. I would not leave poor Con¬ 
science now, it would be cruel, and besides I love him and 


10 


THE CONSCRIPT 


never will love anybody else. No, no, Monsieur Niguet, 
money can’t buy love, it can buy almost anything else. 
It is the gilded shore to a world of sorrow. 

Starts to go on , is stopped by Niguet. 

Niguet. Nay, not so fast my little dear, (attempts to 
chuck her under the chin , which she resents). If you are 
as wise as you are pretty, listen. I hold the mortgage on 
Conscience’s grandfather’s farm ; rather I have got a decree 
and can sell in thirty days, all the property. Times are 
hard, nobody can buy. 1 shall get the farm and everything 
on it. I can drive father Cadet and all out of doors. You 
can say whether it shall be done. If you will marry me, I 
will bid the place in, and we will live there. If you say 
no, I shall sell and not wait a day. If your family is driven 
out it is your fault. You can save them a home. 

Mar, Oh, M. Niguet, be merciful—who oppresses the 
widow and the fatherless shall not prosper. You can turn 
poor Conscience when he conies home, and his poor wid¬ 
owed mother, and poor old father Cadet, out of doors, but 
God will shelter them some way\ “He will temper the 
wind to the shorn lamb,” and he will punish you. Retri¬ 
butive justice never sleeps. Some day God will call you to 
an account for your evil deeds, and scatter your ill gotten 
gains, and send you down to old llplzebub’s regions. 

Niguet. Oh, my little saint. How pretty you talk. I 
should like to kiss that pretty mouth, that says such pretty 
things. Come, my little dear, you must be the wife of old 
Niguet, in spite of the world. You are in my power— 
there is no one here. If you will not on your knees swear 
to marry me, I’ll make y^ou something worse, a withered 
faded ilower that nobody will look at. Say quick. (Seizes 
her. Marietta shrieks and says ): 

Mar. Oh, God, help, help me, poor, poor Marietta. 
Have mercy, Niguet, as you would have God and man have 
mercy on you. [ Shrieks. Old Niguet is trying to drag her 
down , a gun is fired so close by that the powder burns Ni- 


THE CONSCRIPT. 


11 


guefs hair and face and stuns them both and both fall. 
Bastien breaks through the bushes. 

Bastien. The old scoundrel, I had nothing but powder 
in my musket, or old Niguet would have plagued this world 
no more with his usury and taking the homes of the widows 
and orphans. I think I ought to kill him now, I would if 
he would only show fight, but he is such an old coward. 
Poor Marietta, troubles never come singly. It’s well I 
came. Strange fate should have brought me here and now 
just in the nick of time to save Marietta. I did not know 
why I was not shot in battle—what I was living for. I 
have done some good if I have killed old Niguet and saved 
poor Marietta. (Gives Marietta a drink from his canteen.) 
Marietta revives and says 

Mar. Where am I? Who is this? Oh, Bastien is this 
you ? [ Tries to embrace him laughs and swoons again. 

Bas. D—n these women, they faint away when they are 
in the hands of the enemy, or in the hands of friends—so 
d—d fickle they can’t tell what to do. I am a great mind 
to kill this old devil. I see he begins to move. Say, you 
old Arab, you Hottentot, you old Bazouk, attacking de¬ 
fenceless women, ( kicking him ) it I ever catch you speak¬ 
ing to, or even looking at Marietta again, you’ll never harm 
another woman in this world. Get up and “don’t stand 
upon the order of your going but go at once.” 

Old Niguet retires mumblin g and shaking his fist at 
Bastien. 

Mar. (rising ) How came you here, I thought you were 
with the army somewhere near Conscience. 

Bas. I came here, I suppose, because God sent me to 
save you. I didn’t know before that I could ever do any 
good. Then to think I came from Conscience and found 
vou in trouble. There is no army, it is scattered like the 
leaves of autumn. The French are beaten and the Allies 
are successful. 

Mar. You come from Conscience. O, Bastien, I love 


12 


THE CONSCRIPT. 


you for that and for all you have done for me. [.Embraces 
him , kisses him , etc. 

Bas. That’s better than bullets to take and carry around. 
Kisses may make a hole in a man’s heart, but bullets make 
a hole in his body, but both make a man feel sore. 

Marietta you say you love me because I came from Con¬ 
science and saved you. I wish somebody loved me for my¬ 
self. 

Mar. Pshaw, Bastien, Catherine loves you. We sat day 
after day and wandering in the woods we talked of you and 
Conscience, and the war, and she would cry just as I did, 
and I know I cried because I loved Conscience, and she 
cried because she loved you. 

Bas. You girls always cry whether you’re hurt or not. 
But do you say Catherine loves me. Oh, I am so happy, 

( dances ) I have not he’ard from her and I thought she had 
forgotten me. I feel a tingling just as though T had been 
shot. 

Mar. No, she wrote but heard nothing from you. You 
and Conscience were not in the same regiment, or division 
of the army, and your letters went astray, and I don’t 
know that Conscience received those that I wrote him. 

They going to Catherine's house , meet her. Catherine and 
Bastien embrace eo.ch other and the girls cry. 

Bas. There it is again. What waterspouts you women 
are, you would be good in a dry time. Blast it everybody 
cries wherever I go. I guess I made old skinflint cry down 
there, [pointing to where the attack was made on Marietta ] 
and, blast it, if I ain’t crying myself. [Blows his nose like a 
trumpet and wipes away tears , &c.] Well, Catherine you 
are looking like a rose in bloom, and blushing twice as 
red. 

Oath. Oh, Bastien, I hoped and prayed that you wo.uld 
come back safe, but we heard nothing from you and I—I— 
[crying.'] 

Bas. There you go off again. We shall have a freshet 


TIIE CONSCRIPT. 


13 


with so much rain. You cry because you thought I was 
killed. Now yon cry because I aint. I know a way to get 
rid of tears. 

Catli.. \smiles ] IIow ? 

Has. Kiss them away. [Kisses her .] There, see how 
smiles chase away the tears, and how quick a kiss dries up 
tears on a maiden’s cheeks. Don’t you cry sometimes to 
have the tears kissed away, and aint you mad if some fellow 
don’t do it ? 

Cath. No, we don’t. No, we ain’t mad. But you men 
give us so much trouble, we have to cry. You get us in 
love, then you go off to the wars. 

Mar. Well, I don’t see as I can be of any use here, there 
is one too many, so good-bye, I am going away to-morrow 
[Kisses Catherine ] 

Ba*. Going away to-morrow. Where ? 

Mar Going to Conscience. 

Bas. Going to the d— L Why, my child, it was as much 
as I could do to get here. You can’t go there, they'd eat 
you up, you are so sweet. They’d think you were honey, 
but they thought I was old beeswax. 

Mar. Look here. [ Shows the j>slss.~\ 

Bas. Be gar, j t ou are an angel. Ain't she, Catherine ? 
I almost wish I had gone blind. Would you, Catherine, do 
what Marietta is doing ? Would you go after and watch 
over me ? 

Cath. Gone blind ? I wish you had, so Marietta and I 
could have gone together. Wouldn’t it have been so nice. 

Bas. No, I don’t think so. It might have been fun for 
you, but death to us. What tricks you would have played 
upon us. What faces you would have made up at us, and 
we couldn’t see you, No, a blind man may follow his nose 
but I’d rather follow my eyes, yet a man’s eyes make a fool 
of him when he looks upon woman in love, and makes him 
blind at last to all follies, but when he gets married he gets 
his eye sight restored, and he sees more sometimes then, 


14 


THE CONSCRIPT. 


than he wants to. I am going to the General and get a pass 
too. 

O th. What for ? You going to leave me ? 

Bas. I am going with Marietta. She’d be no more like 
to ever see Conscience than Conscience will ever see her, 
for she never would get there alone. 

Mar. But Bastien, you must not leave Catherine so soon, 
and you know 1 have got Barnard. 

Bas. Whoop ! I’d leave Catherine if she was my wife 
to go with you on such an errand of mercy. Poor Consci¬ 
ence, all the day he sits and thinks and talks of you, and 
the old folks and old times. I’d go through the whole 
Russian army for you and Conscience. Ain’t I right Cath¬ 
erine % Ain't this according to the good book, “do as we 
would like to be done by.” I don’t know much about the 
Bible, or prayer, my early training was neglected, but I 
know what is right and wrong, and I sometimes think if I 
only do a little good, and try to do right in this world, 
they’ll leave the gate a little open for me to enter the other 
world. 

Gath. Yes, go Bastien, I love you better than ever. You 
have got a good heart, if you are a rough soldier. I 
wouldn’t give you for a regiment of those wdiite livered, pale 
faced, downy mustache fops, who have neither hearts or 
brains. Kiss me quick and go. 

Bas. Hello, I am getting kissed now as often as I used to 
get kicked. We get even with the world at sometime. 
What a hard life we soldiers lead. We don’t know where 
we are going to eat or sleep, or when we are going to get 
shot, or kissed. I think the kissing is better than the shoot¬ 
ing, it certainly is safer I’ve got an idea, Catherine, kiss 
me quick and I’ll tell you it—honest! [She kisses him^\ 
We’ll all go to Conscience, Barnard and all. I’ll get a pass 
for you, Catherine, and myself, and we’ll have a grand pic¬ 
nic when we get to Conscience, and we all come marching 
home. Won’t we play gypsies, and dance and sing. Hello, 


THE CONSCRIPT. 


15 


not so fast—go slow, I forgot poor Conscience was blind 
and that there were a hundred miles between us, filled with 
soldiers. Yes, I’ll spill my milk if I go so fast. Well, 
good-bye. “It’s all well that ends well.” I am off for the 
General’s quarters. [ Goes off singing. ] 

ACT III. 

Scene. —Hospital at Laone. 

Bastien, Marietta, Catherine, Barnard, Sentinel, &c. 

Has. This is the old hospital where Conscience is. It 
looks like a Bastile, but it’s easier to get out of than the old 
Bastile, destroyed by the mob which finally destroyed Louis 
XVI. Few went into the old Bastile that ever came out. 
It was at once a home and a grave. How many went in 
and were forgotten by the world and died long after, nnwept 
and unknown. 

Hello, [Giving the military salute ] old stick in the mud, 
we have come to see Conscience, and I suppose he’s where 
I left him in here, a tew days ago. 

Sentinel. What do you say, that you left your conscience 
in here? 

Has. Tou don’t seem to be deaf. That’s what I said. I 
said we had .left Conscience here and we have come after 
him. It’s a man. It’s Marietta’s Conscience that we 
want. 

Sen. Let me see your pass. 

Bastien shows his pass. 

Has. If you can’t read weTl read it tor you. 

Sen. You need not troublelyour wits. This won’t do. 

B as. Won’t do ! Can you read? This is a passthrough 
the lines. You’ll get shot some fine morning for your igno¬ 
rance. 

Sen. Yes, it’s a pass through the lines, but not into the 
hospital. You get a pass from the officer in command here 
and you can keep your breath to sing to your babies. 


16 


THE CONSCRIPT. 


Bas. That’s clever. When I want your advice, I’ll ask 
for it, and when I have any babies I shall know it as soon 
as all are doing well, won’t we Catherine, and I shall have 
breath enough to swear at you and sing fo|thern too. There 
seems to be as many passes here as in “Balkans.” I’ll 
get it if I have to go to St. Petersbugh, to the Czar. 

[ Goes and gets pass and returning shows it to Sentinel 
There, old red tape, is the Surgeon’s pass. 

Sen. [looking at it.'] All right. 

Bas. If it hadn’t been so do you know what I would have 
done ? I would have shot you with this pistol. 

Drawing kirn a flask, and handing it to the Sentinel, loho laughs and 
drinks; all go in; Conscience is sitting alone; Barnard goes up to 
him an l kisses his hand. 

Con. What, Barnard is that you, my old friend. All 
seem to have forgotten me but you. Where did you come 
fro in? 

Then all hug and kiss Conscience; B a stien jumping up and down,whoop¬ 
ing, and alternately using his bandana, blowing his nose and wiping 
away tears. Girls crying. 

Bas. There you go again. It’s the wetest season I ever 
saw. It rains when the sun shines. You cry just the same 
when you feel good as when you feel bad. Conscience, 
my boy, cheer up, cheer up. We are all here, Marietta, 
Catherine, Barnard and myself. We are going to take you 
home and have one long pic nic—live like babes in the 
woods—have lots of fun, won’t we ? [ Dances. 

Con. Oh, I am so glad—I was going to say, to see you, 
but, alas, I shall never see you again, my dear old friends, 
but 1 remember your dear old faces, the/yare photographed 
on my heart. 

Mar. Dear, dear Conscience. O, I am so happy, I can’t 
talk. I am so thankful we are together again. We will 
part no more. 


THE CONSCRIPT 


17 


Con. God is good. I can see more now than when my eyes 
looked out upon this little world. I can see beyond and above 
the things of this world, I can see the silver lining to the 
6loud and I know the brightness is from Him who watches 
over all and doetli all things well. Man can see but little at 
best; he sees a little world full of little men and little things 
—baubles and toys—full of wickedness and misery. I look 
above and beyond, I see and know there are whole grand uni¬ 
verses and that above all is God, and that there is happiness 
and peace. Come let us leave this dark place. 

[ They all leave the Hospital. 
ACT IV. 

Scene I. — By a brook near a bridge In the woods. Con¬ 
science, Bastien, Marietta , Catherine . and Barnard. Have 
had a lunch—are tired and weary walking through the 
woods and dirty roads. 

Con. Is it almost night ? It seems to grow darker and I am 
very weary, are we almost home ? Strange, I once knew all the 
country around so well, almost the voice of the birds and the 
scent of the air, and now I have to ask if I am near my old 
home. 

Bas. Cheer up my lad, cheer up—take some of this, we 
used to call it an eye opener, I wish it could open yours. [ gives 
him some wine~\ Bless me; there you are better than the 
thousands we lett on the battle field. Poor fellows they have 
iought their last battle. Many a brave boy sank down, the 
weary to sleep, the wounded to die. Many a poor fellow 
dreamed of mother and home as he slept after battle upon the 
field only to wake in another and better world. 

Mar. Keep up courage Conscience, I talked with the sur¬ 
geon at Laone. He said you might recover your eyesight 
again. 

Con. Oh, don’t raise any hopes of that kind. No, no, I 
shall never see my home or you again. I have grown weaker 
and weaker ; my courage is going, still I do not repine, but 
sometimes I think this is but the twilight of the long sleep, 


18 


THE CONSCRIPT. 


and that in the morning I shall go through the gates into 
paradise. 

Girls are crying . 

Bas. There you go again, you frail creatures, regular foun¬ 
tains, blast it I ain a waterspout myself. [ Takes out his ban¬ 
danna and blows his nose like a trumpet.] If I ain’t a 
girl I guess I am an old granny to cry. Conscience, my boy, 
if you don’t stop talking so, I’ll—I’ll take a drink. \_Takes 
a pull at his flask. Noise heard in the hedge , an old man 
enters , Dr. Bernardo. 

Doc. Pardon me, I heard some conversation accidentally 
and I saw there was some trouble. What is the matter ? I am 
Dr. Bernardo and reside just the other side of the hedge. 

Mar. Please sir, dear doctor, he is blind, Ipointing to 
Conscience ] Poor Conscience was wounded in battle and the 
explosion of the caisson put out his eyes. We are bringing 
him home from the hospital. Oh, doctor can you help him, he 
seems very weak and in low spirits, his courage seems to have 
left him. 

Doc. Take this, [gives Conscience something from a 
phial.] There you will be better soon, come to my house 
which is but a little way off. [pointing to it. All go to the 
house of the doctor , Conscience leaning on Bastien and 
Marietta , Catharine and Barnard following. 

Scene II.— Doctor's house. Conscience being examined 
by the doctor. Wine and bread are put on the table for 
the others , gives Conscience glass of wine. All get in good 
spirits. 

Mar. What do you think doctor ? 

Doc. While there is life there is hope. There often is no 
other medicine for a disease but hope, The mind sympathi¬ 
zes with the body and the body with the mind. If a part is 
sick all the other parts of the body are afflicted. They are 
true friends, they keep at work day and night until the sick 
part gets well or all die together, the disease affects the whole 
body. Conscience as you call him is sick, his eyes are seem- 


THE CORSCRIPT. 


19 


ingly gone and the whole body sympathizes with his eyes. The 
windows of his body are shut up and there is darkness within, 
where there is no light there is death. God said, let there 
be light for without it there would be no life. The light of the 
eye cheers the mind, keeps up the spirits, strengthens the body 
and gives us courage and hope in battling with the world. 
Tlie light being put out the mind is depressed and dark, the 
spirits droop, the body grows weak, and hope and courage van¬ 
ish in the darkness. There is hope for Conscience, his eyeball 
(the cornea) is covered with a film which may be removed or 
may remove itself. The eyelids are at work constantly keeping 
that film or coating moist and trying to remove it. Nature 
is at work repairing waste, removing obstacles and restoring 
the weak part to its original healthy condition. I will give 
him this bottle of medicine with directions and we will hope. 
Hope is always left to the unfortunate, when friends and all. 
else leave them. There is hope for his recovery. 

Marietta and Conscience thank him , embrace etc. 

Bas. I had a bottle of medicine when I was sick with the 
ague and it said shake before taking, and I always did shake 
before taking and I shook all summer. 1 feel like shaking now, 
shake hands doctor. Doctor, if you cure him “I’ll applaud 
you to the echo.” I’ll have you attend doctor when my first 
baby is born—what an ass I am doctor, 1 ain’t married yet 
are we Catherine. [ Catherine puts her handkerchief to her 
face and all laugh. 

Doc. I am going to send you home in my carriage, Con¬ 
science is too weak to walk. I will call in a day or two and 
see him. 

Mar , Oh, doctor you are so good and kind. You are a 
good Samaritan, you went on the other side to heal the sick. 
The Lord will reward you and we will remember you in our 
prayers. 

Bas. [Jumping around , flourishing his bandanna and 
blowing his nose like a porpoise. 


20 


THE CONSCRIPT. 


Doctor I was in the cavalry Service and in action they lost 
the trumpet and I blew a retreat with my nose. It’s not fitted 
for home music, it’s a little too loud an organ. Doctor as I 
was saying I’ll send for you—you know when—if—won’t 
we Catherine? [Catherine boxes his ears,all laugh and retire. 
ACT Y. 

Scene I.— In the old cottage at Harmont , Madelaine , 

Dame Marie , Father Cadet , Marietta , Conscience , 

Bastien , Catherine , and Barnard the dog. Father 

Cadet , and women embracing Conscience , all crying. 

Bas. There they go again,blast me what a wet country this 
is getting to be, I must try to find a dryer climate, \_gets out 
his bandanna and blows his nose like a trumpet and wipes 
his eyes. 

D—n it, this crying is like the measles, it’s catching. I 
haven’t cried so much since I used 10 get spanked by 
mother. 

Father Cadet , Oh Conscience we are so glad you have got 
home alive. We shall lose the old farm,but we shall have you 
left. 

Bas. Lose the farm ? d—n that old skinflint. Iwish I had 
killed him, I’ll go now. \_Catherine holds him. 

Con. No Bastien, be quiet. Grandfather I can’t see you 
and mother and Dame Marie but 1 can hear you all, and I 
feel the pure air of home, and hear the birds on the branches, 
that use to wake meat morn, and I feel thankful and happy. 
Let us as the doctor said, hope, and let us trust in him who 
doeth all things well. When I had my eyes I could not see 
any way out of our troubles; now I am blind 1 can see it all 
bright in the future for us. It seems just ahead and bright, 
like that bright shore towards which we are drifting. Did 
you all ever think, that we seem to be drifting away from the 
loved and lost which have passed like shadows to that bright 
shore—when in fact we are ever drifting towards them ? 

Mad. My child, I don’t care what happens, we can all live 
somewhere in some way. They may take everything else, 


THE CONSCRIPT. 


21 


they can never take you away from mo again. Oh, we will 
all be so happy. [ all crying. 

Bas. There it is again, so happy and all boohooing. Blast 
it, I am crying too. [blows his nose with his old bandanna . 

(echo by a trumpet behind the scenes.) If I ever have a baby 
—that is my wife Catherine, if my baby, that is your baby 
cries well spank him, won’t we? [ she boxes his ears. 

Scene II. — Napoleon and his aids at Harmont , on their 
way to join the army at Waterloo. Men. women , chil¬ 
dren. flags etc. Bastien and Conscience. Bastien is 
presented to the Emperor , tells about Conscience being 
wounded. The Emperor calls Conscience. 

Nap. Conscience, I saw you on the battlefield when the 
caisson blew up. You saved my life and almost lost yoars, 
you were between me and the gun. Your friend Bastien has 
told me about you. Here is the Cross of Honor, [ throwing it 
around Conscience's neck.~\ and here are 100,000 francs, so 
you can pay off your grandfather’s debt and make you and 
your Marietta happy, [calls her , she comes forward and the 
emperor kisses her .] Be happy my children and remember 
the old emperor in your prayers. lam going to victory or 
death. I shall save France or France will lose Napoleon. 

All shout vive la Emperor . 

Emperor and suit retire. 

Scene III.— Conscience and Bastien go and pay up the 
judgment of old Niguet against Eather Cadet , and get 
the clerk's receipt. 

Scene in clerk's office. 

Bastien and Conscience and clerk. 

Bas. Hon. Mr. Redtape, how many weeks will it take and 
how many departments will we have to go through to find out 
how much old Niguet’s judgment is against father Cadet. If 
you can do it while we remain young, please do it. 

Clerk. Oh, Ill do it immediately, [finds amount .] it is 
15,000 francs. 

Bas. Here it is. Old money bags will be surprised,won’t he? 
give us a receipt you small man who gets large fees, put on 
the big seal. 


22 


THE CONSCRIPT. 


Clerk. [writes and gives receipt .] Here it is. 

Bas. All right, what a surprise party it will be to old Shy- 
lock. Now we’ll go home. 

Scene IY. —At cottage. Old Niguet and officer selling 

place, furniture, etc. 

Bas. Old Sulphur I’ll send you to Brimstone Hall, to 
Pluto if you don’t get out of this. I told you if I caught you 
in any mean act again I’d kill you, and here you are going to 
sell poor old father Cadet out of house and home, and turn 
poor Conscience out like Lear, blind into the night and storm; 
get out or your funeral will be certainly not later than to-mor¬ 
row, 

Nig. You’ll sweat for this,I’ll get the farm yet and get you 
all in jail. I’ll get Marietta in spite of you all. See this 
order to sell under seal of court. 

Bas . See this order not to sell, you old cork-screw [shows 
receipt under seal , etc .] How do you like that you old Com- 
manche Indian.] Get out with your whole pack of dogs or 
I’ll drown you like a lot of blind pups in the pond. 

Out with you [kicks old Niguet at every step to the gate , 
Old Niguet swearing and shaking his fist. 

Lawyer with umbrella and lawbook. 

Law. Mr. Bastien don’t! don’t,you are upsetting the scales 
of justice. It’s contrary to the books and precedents, and 
against the peace and dignity of the State—very words of the 
statutes. 

Bas. D—n the law precedents and you too. 

La/w. Don’t say so Mr. Bastien don't,just reflect a moment 
law is law. The world is kept running by law. Nature lives 
by law, so do we lawyers. In it we move and have our being. 
The world revolves by law, so do we. If you stop the law the 
world will go to smash, so will we. So you see Mr. Bastien if 
it were not for law we should be going 

Up in a balloon boys, [sings 

Bas. Well if you don’t get out law or no law, balloon or no 
balloon, I’ll send you kiting. 




THE CONSCRIPT. 


23 


Law. Please don’t Mr. Bastien, I make a fair limb of the 
law but would make a small tail for a kite. Mr. Bastien, you 
of the military are warlike, we of the law are peaceful-—you 
take things by force, we take them by law. We settle every¬ 
body’s strife about goods and chattels by taking the goods and 
chattels ourselves. Law is the hub of society and business, 
and we lawyers are the flies that buzz around the wheel. 

Bas. Well fly out of this or I’ll give you the grand bounce 
with, as we military men say when we are in a hurry, double 
quick. 

Law. Mr. Bastien, please don’t be so hasty. We all regret 
what we do in this world, }et do what we are ever 
regretting—Mr. Bastien reflect, damages sir, heavy damages— 
assault and battery against the peace, Ac.—private damages 
for physical injuries, damages to one’s breeches as well as 
his pride and feeling lacerated and injured—I’ll show you the 
law. 

Bas. Get out—Justice is blind and I believe you are deaf, 
can you feel ? [kicks the lawyer and old Niguet alternately 
down to the gate. The lawyer trying to show Bastien the 
law , and old Niguet shaking his fist in rage. 

ACT VI. 

Scene I. — At the cottage , Marietta and Catherine. 

Mar. I wonder if Conscience and Bastien will be home to 
day. They said that they would be back in two weeks, and 
it is two weeks to-day since they left. They said they might 
go to Paris. There is some mystery about it. Catherine did 
Bastien tell you where they were going and for what ? 

Oath. No, he said they were going to make an investment, 
and like all speculations it would take time and money. That 
they had to go somewhat blindly but they expected to see their 
way clearly before they returned. 

Mar. What a terrible night! The storm fiend seems to be 
raging with madness. The thunders roar and rattle and the 
lightnings flash as if earth was an immense battlefield. Every 
noise startles me on such a night as this. Hark, did you not 


24 


THE CONSCRIPT. 


hear voices ? 1 always feel forebodings of danger amid the war 
of the elements. I pray Conscience and Bastien are in no 
danger and that there is no dark cloud about to burst upon our 
little home. Through Providence we have escaped all our ills 
and He will still watch over us. Catherine we will hope and 
pray that all will be well, I wish they had not taken Barnard, 
I fear and tremble. We are like stringed instruments, every 
breeze plays upon us, now lively, now sad. To-night there is 
something in the air that damps my courage and falls like a 
leaden weight on my feelings. May our to-night’s ghosts be 
scattered by to-morrow’s sun, and our forebodings change to 
a bright fruition. Good night. 

Bedroom scene , light, dec., faces of old Niguet and vil¬ 
lains at the window , not seen by Marietta and Catherine. 

Niguet lawyer and villians enter cottage , strike a 
light , &c. 

Nig. Here we are all safe, the game is ours sure. No one 
here but the old man and the old women—how is that, old 
law book bound in calf? 

Law. Yes, I am law bound in calf. I’ll go no farther, you 
told me you would use no violence ; you wanted my brains and 
wit, here they are but I will not be accessory to this crime of 
abduction. I see the prison or death just before us, better 
stop now before it is too late. 

Nig. If you hesitate I will shoot you. You are in my 
power, you have committed too many peccadilloes, to call 
it by pleasant names, to escape punishment. I can send you 
where the dogs cannot bark at you. 

Law. Oh, Monsieur Niguet, beware we shall fall together, 
if I have been the shadow, you have been the substance We 
have stretched many a point of law, and it may be we shall 
lose the race of life, by a neck. Our crimes come up like 
ghosts to warn us. I will add no more to my list-go on, but I 
wash my hands of this deed, I have done too much already 
and where is the reward—ashes—dust—nothing. Hear me, 
I see in the distance a prison for one of us, death 



THE CONSCRIPT. 


25 


the other. You escaped once from Bastien’s gun, it should 
be a warning. He may come again in the nick of time. He 
seems to be the guardian angel of the family. I learn that Con¬ 
science has been restored to sigh;;—-They are expected—It is 
the devil’s own night, and his imps are all out—Beware, come 
away—I am going, come, [goes out in the darkness , saying'] 
Rats always leave a sinking ship. Old Niguet is a little too 
bad for me. I like to stretch a point of law , but don’t like to 
have my neck stretched, that is a kind of practice from which 
there is no appeal. 

Niguet and his villains approach the room of Marietta , 
a shriek is heard . Niguet carrying and dragging Marietta . 

Nig. Oh, my sweet Marietta how pretty you look, you are 
mine now and forever. No power can save you. I like 
nightingale’s singing,but my pretty girl you must not sing now 
[attemps to gag her. Marietta cries Conscience! Bastien.\ 
No, no they are far away my pretty dear. They will find 
the pretty bird has flown from its cage, when they return, and 
like the dove you will never fly back to the ark. 

Mar. [Loosening the gag , cries] Have mercy oh, God, 
Conscience, Bastien where are you ? 

A shot is fired, Niguet falls dead,men escape through win¬ 
dows etc. 

Bas. [. Entering ] God is here, I am here. Man proposes, 
God disposes. Tableau. 

Father Cadet. women and all kneeling. Marietta lying 
as if dead. Conscience and Bastien holding on to the law¬ 
yer. 

We caught this imp of darkness running away with all his 
might, he fairly run into our arms. He told us what was go¬ 
ing on so we hastened our steps into a run,and came in in the 
nick of time. I guess old Niguet is done for, this time and his 
soul has gone to Pluto’s dark abode. 

“There is a divinity that shapes our ends, rough hew them 
how we will.” I begin to think I was made for something if 
nothing more than to kill that old scoundrel. [Police removes 
old Niguel's body, and takes the lawyer prisoner . 


26 


THE CONSCRIPT. 


We heard the shriek, and just as old Niguet showed himself 
with Marietta I fired. Well Marietta he will trouble you no 
more. He ought to have been hung, shooting was too good for 
him. 

Mar. Oh dear, dear Bastien you are truly our gardian 
angel, you are a soldier brave and a man good and true. And 
dear Conscience you are looking out of your eyes just as if you 
were never blind. Am I under a delusion, is it real what I 
see around me. We seem to gain good by sorrow, and our 
greatest safety lies through danger. Our life seems like a fairy 
tale. We come and go like phantoms, and scenes, going and 
coming like a mirage. Yesterday you were blind, to-day you 
see; yesterday you were poor, to-day we are rich ; yesterday 
the villain flourished, to-day he is dead, 

“And all the clouds that lower’d upon our house, 

In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.” 

Bas. D—n it. this is better than winning a battle. Poor 
Napoleon has lost Waterloo. But you are like Wellington, 
you have won. I told the girls we were going it blind but 
hoped to see our way clear on our return, and we have. 

Con. Oh Marietta, you know I told you I had a dream that 
we should part and it came to pass. I dreamed last night that 
I saw you again Marietta and Mother and Grandfather, Bast¬ 
ien, Catherine, Barnard and all the dear old scenes of early 
life and that the sun shone bright, and the birds sang as in 
the days of yore, and Marietta that you looked sweeter and 
prettier than ever, [all shout and cry for joy. 

Bas. [Taking out his bandanna.] There you go again, 
there hasn’t been such a freshet since the mill dam broke away, 
at the time of Noah, [blows his nose and wipes his eyes.] If 
we have had a section of judgment we have got through all 
right. God has carried poor Conscience through the Red sea 
and he sees as well as the Israelites could after that long night 
of bondage in the wilderness,when they had come to the happy 
land of Canaan, on the other side of Jordan. 

Scene II.— Wedding scene all the family present. 


THE CONSCRIPT. 


27 


Con. Well, it’s all well that ends well, here we all are after 
sorrow and misfortunes, better for the fiery ordeal through 
which wo have passed. We have gathered worldly wisdom 
from the thorns of sad experience, and we have found dear 
Bastien in you and Marietta and Catherine kind and faithful 
friends in our adversity, and we found God was in the silver 
lining of the dark cloud. And now that He has joined us 
together let no man put us asunder. 

Law. Divorces obtained without publicity, fees after de¬ 
cree, P, 0. box, no. 

Las. Get out you wolf bound in sheep* clothing [kicks at 
him , lawyer retires in haste. 

Yes dear Conscience here we will sit and fight our old bat¬ 
tles over again, and talk of old times; and smoke our pipes un¬ 
der our own vine and fig tree, while our dear wives will 
sing to us the songs of the long ago, and thus we will glide 
down the stream of life amid sunshine and love into the 
the great ocean of the Hereafter, and on to the shining shore 
beyond, where there is no sorrow or parting and where the 
birds ever sing and the flowers never fade. 


FINIS 















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